Improvement in washing-machines



T. E. MATTHEWS. Washing-Machine.

No. 217.700. Patented July 22,4879.

2/, IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/I N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D Q

UNITED STATES-PATENT FFIGE.

THOMAS E. MATTHEWS, OF WINCHESTER, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,700, dated J nly2?, 1879 application filed May 1, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. MATTHEWS, of the town of Winchester,county of Franklin, and State of Tennessee, have made certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for IVashing and GleansingGlothesandIdohereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section Fig. an end view ofthe machine, on which is applied the crank. Fig. 3 is an end view of therevolving cylinder.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts'in all thefigures.

This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for washingand cleansing clothes, whereby steam is made to act a very importantpart and is utilized in the most effective manner possible; and itconsists of a rotating cylinder, in combination with a boilin gapparatus and steam-pipes, all constructed and arranged to operate inthe manner which I shall now proceed more fully to describe.

Referring to the drawings hereto annexed, A is the arrangement forboiling water, which is to be boiled by resting on a stove or furnace,and is made of either metal, wood, or both, of any size or shape. Abovethe metal bottom a short distance is a rim or bearing, on which rests asecond or false bottom, B, and held so by any suitable means. At eachend of the boiler A there is a pipe or steam-conductor, O U, whichcommunicates with the space between the false and metal bottoms. Theseconductors O U are not fastened rigidly to the box or boiler A, but arefirmly held in position by sliding down from the top into a groove, thusenabling them to be easily removed. At a suitable distance from thebottom of these conductors O (J there are rigidly attached shorthorizontal pipes D D, with their openings intersecting with the openingof the steam-conductors O C. These pipes D D are of sufficient lengthand strength to form suitable bearings, on which the rotating cylinderis hung. Thus the conductors O O and pipes D D are acting in twocapacitiesconducting steam and forming bearings for the cylinderand areso arranged in the grooves that the cylinder can be readily removed fromthe box or boiler A.

It will here be observed that the cylinder E is not made round, but is ahexagon in shape. and that at each angle two slats or bars, F, widerthan any others, are joined together, forming a kind of bucket, G,which, as the cylinder rotates, will lift water from the bottom, and asit nears the top dash it over the clothes.

The cylinder E is made of any suitable material, and its ends andoutside bars or slats are all rigidly fastened together, except a cover,H, which is hinged to one side, and is opened and closed as desired.Near the center of the cylinder E is arranged a series of rolling pins,I I, secured in a circle by the journals of the pins entering the headsor ends of the cylinder E, thus forming a small round cylinder, J,within the larger one, E.

In order to rotate the cylinder E, a cogwheel, K, is firmly secured toone end of the cylinder E, and through this cog-wheel the pipes andbearings D must pass; and meshin into the cog-wheel K is another one, L,to which a crank is attached and motion is communicated.

In operating the machine, soap and water are first put into the boilerA. The cylinder E and conductors O G are then adjusted and the clothesput within the cylinder E. As the water boils it is forced by expansionup the conductors O G, and through the pipes D D into the smallcylinder, J, where it is necessarily divided and forced in alldirections by the rolling pins I I. Then, as the cylinder E rotates, thebuckets G lift and dash water over the clothes, which, in connectionwith steam and water from the small cylinder, J, produces a mostthorough and complete agitation of steam and water, while the shape ofthe cylinder E raises the clothes to a higher point than a roundcylinder, and throws them onto the small cylinder, J, where they arebrought into the closest possible contact with steam and water from theconductors O O, and at the same time the Water from the buckets G- isbeing forcibly dashed from above over the clothes, and thus from the twoforces is produced a most thorough and complete cleansing operation,while the rolling pins I I prevent the clothes from winding around thecenter cylinder.

I am aware that a false bottom is not new. I am also aware that arotating cylinder is not new, and am aware that a boiler having a falsebottom, substantially as described, has been used in combination with arotating cylinder containing the clothes, and also in combination withsteam-conductors on the outside of the cylinder; but it will be seenthat mine is essentially different from all these, as I convey the steamand water directly to the cen ter of the cylinder, where it is notobstructed by the outside bars and centrifugal force of the rotatingcylinder, but, on the contrary, all these forces act in harmony to forcethe steam and water through the clothes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- The combination, with the boiler A,of the hexagonal cylinder E, provided with buckets G, steam-conductors OO, and pipes D D, and small cylinder J, constructed with rolling pins 1I, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereto affix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS E. MATTHEWS. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

M. U. FORBES, H. S. PALMER.

